It is beneficial to stabilize the skin near an incision site prior to forming an incision so that a lancet tip can form an incision to an accurate depth. However, the condition of skin has a significant effect on how it is punctured by a lancet tip and the associated pricking depth of the lancet tip. For example, elasticity of skin is variable for each patient and from site to site on a patient's body. Moreover, before a lancet tip can form an incision in skin to a certain depth, the skin must be pulled taut enough to smooth out the skin and exceed the puncture threshold before the lancet can penetrate the skin. If the skin of a patient is not pulled taut prior to forming the incision, then the lancet tip must stretch the skin to make it taut prior to forming an incision. Therefore the lancet may not form an incision to an accurate depth.
Typically the minimal parts for an integrated body fluid sampling device include a test strip and a lancet. As can be appreciated there is a cost associated with manufacturing the components of integrated body fluid sampling devices such as test strips, lancets, and housings. Therefore forming an additional mechanism to stabilize skin typically increases the manufacturing cost of body fluid sampling devices. Thus, there is a need to reduce the manufacturing costs associated with a body fluid sampling device.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.